I wasn't taught about money growing up. After my divorce, I built a nest egg, and I'm showing my kids how to budget.

Courtesy of Holly Martins

• Holly Martins, 39, was taught that scraping by financially was OK, she said.
• After divorcing, she realized she needed to make a lot of money.
• She spoke to a therapist and a financial advisor and shares those lessons with her sons.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Holly Martins. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in a household that fostered a poverty mentality.